Tag Archives: Science

It’s a little depressing to realize how timely news of this product is, given the events unfolding worldwide as a result of religiously-motivated hate. But in a search for a silver lining, we suppose it’s somewhat comforting to know that there exists a product that can dramatically increase chances of survival in the event of being injured by a gun shot. You’re looking at a sponge-filled syringe called the XSTAT 30, which has been approved by the FDA as a tool to stop blood catastrophic blood loss. When medics arrive on the scene, they can quickly inject the wound with 92 of these little sponges, which will expand, absorb blood and eventually block further loss, giving the patient time to reach a hospital before dying from exsanguination. Once in the ER, doctors can remove the sponges and give appropriate treatment. Each one is tagged with a radiopaque marker to insure none is accidentally left inside a patient. Initially reserved for military use, the FDA clearance now makes it available to the general public. And while it’s not something you would buy yourself, you can now move on with your life with the knowledge that if something tragic were to happen, there’s an extra tool in doctors’ arsenal to keep you alive.

Are we talking about paperweights on OhGizmo!? Yes, yes we are. It’s not any ordinary paperweight though, but a Planetary Paperweight, not unlike the Planetary Lollipops or Planetary Glass Set we wrote about a while back. It’s a fun reminder that our little planet is nothing but a speck of dust in our vast universe, and a cool visual nod to the tiny neighbourhood of our galaxy we happen to inhabit. It’ll look great on the desk of any science-minded loved one in your life, and at $38, it makes a great stocking stuffer for the upcoming Holidays.

Tesla coils are pretty awesome, but they tend to be big, unwieldy, and kind of difficult to seriously consider as a purchase. The Tiny Musical Tesla Coil however is only 6 inches tall when assembled, and can easily do its magic on a countertop. The best feature of this particular kit however is its ability to play music. With a USB cable and your laptop, you’ll be able to play MIDI tunes by controlling the pressure waves generated by the 4 inch sparks. Some assembly is necessary, so you’ll need at least some basic soldering knowledge, as well as access to a soldering iron, paint-on or spray-on varnish, and hand tools. It’s a single-resonant solid-state coil (SSTC Tesla Coil), which is great because it’s reliable and safe. You’ll be learning about alternating-current electricity in a very hands-on, and let’s face it, pretty cool manner. And you’ll only have to pay $229 for the privilege.

If you’re wearing rubber, you’re already doing something to protect yourself from sexually transmitted diseases. Good for you. But not everyone is always 100% diligent with this practice, and all it takes is one slip up with an infected partner for you to catch whatever they have. A team from Isaac Newton Academy in Illford, England have developed condoms coated in a special substance that glows in the dark in the presence of different kind of bacteria or virii. Better yet, they glow different colors for different bugs: green for chlamydia, yellow for herpes, purple for HPV and blue for syphilis. Having this knowledge early on in a relationship can help you avoid making a more serious mistake later on.

Currently it’s just a concept, but the students behind it are hopeful that they can develop the idea further into a real product.

Well then. That’s a lovely cornucopia of germs. See, you’re looking at a Petri Dish full of bacterial cultures found on the hand of an 8 year old kid after he played outside. It’s gross and beautiful at the same time. And it’s a great reminder never to have children. Or at the very least, if you do, to teach them good hand washing manners. But we’ll be honest, our hands are probably not much cleaner, and that’s without even having to play outside; have you ever seen what grows on an old keyboard? So we’ll just stop here, that’s enough germophobia inducing material for the week.

Any item that gets anyone thinking about the vast, unbounded beauty of the universe, rather than what kind of lipstick Kim Kardashian was wearing yesterday is fine by us. The set pictured above, a handmade item from Etsy seller jerseymaids is actually one of the nicer looking such items we’ve come across. Each bracelet can be made in either a gold or silver type finish, and you can choose from any of 36 designs. This includes not only all of the solar system’s planets, but also notable space characters such as the Crab Nebula, the Pillars of Creation, or the Horse Nebula. “Each individual bangle bracelet features 3 images of your choice that measure 6mm each, and the bangle bracelet itself measures approximately 8 3/4″ in circumference and is meant to flow loosely around your wrist. ” You can buy them individually for $30 a piece, or get the set of 6 (pictured above) for $145. Keep in mind that this is a made-to-order item and as such can take up to 3 weeks to ship. The sellers are on vacation now as well, so nothing is getting in the mail until they return at the start of June.

Here’s a fun gift for some science minded friend of yours. Or just about anyone with a slight sense of wonderment at nature’s cool toys. It turns out you can buy a chunk of Gallium, which has a melting point of 85.85F. And, unlike Mercury, it’s non-toxic. This means you can warm it up in your hand to the point where it starts melting. Then we’re not sure what you can possibly do with it, but that’s pretty cool as it is. Many reviewers have mentioned that their children became interested in science and chemistry after they witnessed metal melting in their hands, so we’re pretty confident you’ll love it too. It’s $15 for a 20g sample of 99.99% pure Gallium.

Each one of these coasters features a different slice of a theoretical human brain. When they’re stacked up, they create a 3D rendering of a human brain, which is sure to impress your guests with even a passing interest in, well, anything cool. They come in a set of 10, and stacking them in the right order should be easy considering they’re labeled. Made from glass, each coaster also features small rubber feet to keep them off your surface, and away from scratches. At $20 for the set, it’s an inexpensive way to let your guests know that you’re into science-y stuff.

This means you can proudly display the cube on your desk and when someone passes by and asks you what the heck it is, you can just tell them to pick it up and watch them be amazed by how improbably heavy it is. It doesn’t do anything, really, other than make you aware of how amazing some the universes’ elements is. And look cool on display. A 1″ cube will set you back a $69 pledge. But the real fun begins if you’re willing to drop $199 to get the KILO, which is a 1.5″ (3.8cm) cube that weighs exactly one kilogram. Shipping will happen in April, since this is a fully funded Kickstarter project; as of this writing it’s exceeded its goals by $150,000!

OhGizmo! is a frequently updated blog that focuses on covering items that will appeal to a very specific and often very passionate audience: the geek. Aside from the fare of innovative consumer electronic products, the reader can expect to find news about geek culture, absurd inventions, awe inspiring technology, and an ever growing assortment of articles that we like to think fit within our view of what we’re calling the Geek Lifestyle.